Event:

Robots for the upper and lower limbs can be very useful to restore movement abilities in two ways. First, they can promote neurorehabilitation as training devices after neurological injuries such as spinal cord injury (SCI), traumatic brain injury and stroke. Second, they can be used as assistive devices to support patients or elders with gait impairments in daily life situations. However, current mechatronic solutions are still too bulky, too heavy, with too little battery power, and thus, too inconvenient to use. Furthermore, the sensory technologies and control strategies are still too primitive to allow the correct motion intention and to provide effective assist-as-needed support. These disadvantages result to unsatisfactory performance and discomfort. In this talk I will present current engineering solutions and future trends of stationary gait and arm training robots as well as wearable exoskeleton devices that can be used for training and assistance in daily life. I will also present the Cybathlon, which is a new kind of championship, where people with physical disabilities compete against each other at tasks of daily life, with the aid of robotic technologies. The next Cybathlon will take place in Zurich, on May 2nd and 3rd 2020.